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By Anthony Maliki, Abuja
The Katsina State Government has invested N859,505,690 to establish the Katsina State Geographic Information Service (KATGIS), provide all necessary equipment and facilities.
Deputy Governor Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe made this known during the 5th edition of the monthly press briefing held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
This was contained in a statement by Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State.
Speaking on Governor Dikko Umaru Radda commendable achievements in Lands and Physical Planning, the Deputy Governor stated, “The Government huge investment in KATGIS also include the development of a proprietary software and the purchase of hardware, as well as the procurement from Nigerian Security, Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) a highly secured document for the production of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).”
The Deputy Governor equally explained that the establishment of KATGIS “is necessary to move us away from the tedious manual process of land registration and documentation that is prone to manipulation and fraud, to a technology-driven one that is transparent, faster and generally allows efficient land record keeping, thereby reducing conflict between land owners and enhancing revenue generation.”
In addressing the impact of rapid urbanization, Malam Jobe revealed that the administration has made substantial payments to compensate residents affected by land acquisition projects.
“This administration has paid compensation totaling N3,173,933,922.00 to people affected by land takeover, to allow various development projects across the State, including road construction, building of new and expansion of existing schools, hospitals, markets and other infrastructural projects,” the Deputy Governor disclosed.
He added, “The sum of N2,000,000,000.00 has been budgeted this year for payment of compensation for projects under way.”
Speaking on efforts to strengthen development control, Malam Jobe announced, “a total of N725,000,000.00 was expended to procure Heavy Machineries such as Pay Loaders, Excavator, Load-bed, Tippers, Hilux Vehicles, together and Motorbikes for monitoring activities to ensure developers strictly adhere to building regulations.”
The Deputy Governor continued that the rapid population growth has presented the Government with various challenges that must be addressed today to ensure a sustainable growth for a better future.
“Government has made significant direct investments to prepare for the anticipated expansion of our cities, including modernization of our land administration system, preparation of city master plans and the purchase of necessary heavy duty equipment for development control,” Malam Jobe said.
On urban planning initiatives, he stressed, “To return to the culture of master planning as a guide for physical development in the State, we have so far invested N315,375,000 for the review of Katsina, Funtua, and Daura Master Plans 2025 – 2040.”
He explained that these master plans, along with four others – Dutsin-Ma, Malumfashi, Mani and Kankiya – “were originally prepared by a British firm (Max Lock) in the early 70s and became outdated 25 years ago.”
“Government has made all arrangements to also review the remaining 4 plans starting from this year to further prepare plans for other cities going into 2026,” the Deputy Governor concluded.
The monthly press briefing, which commenced in November 2024 is tailored towards maintaining transparency and accountability in the use of resources and keep citizens informed on various developmental strides in the state.
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